This invention relates to the field of portable cooking devices. More particularly it relates to a device which is collapsible and operates as a smoker and oven or a barbeque for use in cooking food.
In the field of camping and river rafting, portability and convenient storage of equipment is essential, especially going into remote wilderness areas where dimensional limitations of the boats limit the size of equipment which may be taken upon the trip. In order to be considered for use on camping and river expeditions, equipment must be either miniature in size or such equipment must be collapsible so that it can be compressed into small available storage areas. Smoked food on these outings has become a highlight of the camping activities, with smoked fish on a river rafting trips being something all those participating will enjoy and remember. Problems arise, however, with existing food smokers due to their large and bulky size and prohibitive weight. Smokers that do collapse are generally small devices fit only to cook for one or two persons and lack the convenience of a water tray to maintain humidity of the food during the cooking process. This is especially important to keep the smoked meats, especially fish, moist during and after cooking, and without the provision of a water tray food being smoked rapidly becomes hard and dry. The adaptation of the water tray to the collapsible smoker allows the food cooked to have the humidity required, especially with fish, to remain soft and moist and further allows the smoker to be stored in the limited confines of a raft or boat. Additionally important, especially on river or camping trips to the pristine wilderness, is the provision of a means to collect ashes from the spent charcoal or wood fuel so that it may be easily carried out of the back country. Such debris removal is required in many wilderness areas as a prerequisite to admission.
Additionally, since space is limited on camping and rafting trips, cooking devices are especially utilitarian if they can provide a plurality of uses. In addition to its collapsible nature, the device herein disclosed converts easily to a barbeque or baking oven to allow users multiple options when cooking on trips.
As noted, in the field of camping where the inventor specializes in river rafting, in particular taking large groups of people on river rafting trips into remote wilderness areas, it has become apparent there is a need for a light-weight portable smoker, barbecue and oven combination that will fold together and be easily transported. When packing for camping or rafting trips, space is at a premium and single purpose devices that take up a lot of room are generally not used, whereas a device that is easily stored and has a number of applications is an asset to any camping trip. At some camping locations it is mandatory when vacating a campsite that nothing be left at the campsite including ashes from campfires on the ground, or the ashes must be deposited into a proper receptacle. The device herein disclosed provides a cooking apparatus that will be easily assembled by folding together the major components with two brackets inserted to restrain the devices"" configuration, not requiring any tools for assembly. The cover is simply placed on top of the unit, and the spark and ashtray is slid into position at the bottom with the racks, water tray and firebox sliding within the central chamber on common rails attached to the side walls.
Additionally, it is essential for cooking devices that are routinely moved and assembled to maintain all of the components holding them together in one place. To that end, the disclosed device has been designed with most of the parts required of it being attached together. The attached components are easily folded into position for a quick assembly and disassembly, and all additional parts are large enough that they easily slide into position. The device can be constructed in one preferred embodiment in a large configuration to allow cooking for larger parties and in another preferred configuration in a smaller version of the large group smoker with the same convenience and capabilities for single family outings.
A number of devices have been manufactured or designed in the past to address the need for such portable cooking devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,355 (Mead) teaches a large sized smokehouse for home use that is simple and inexpensive to build. Mead is described as a freestanding smokehouse, which can be collapsed from its open or assembled configuration to a closed or disassembled compact configuration. Mead however lacks the water tray and spark protection ash collection tray and requires a size that is large and teaches a very heavy unit, even when in the compacted state. Even in its collapsed state, Mead is too big and cumbersome to take on a camping or rafting trip where weight and size are so very important. The smokehouse does not have the capability of folding into position quickly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,096 (Slattery) teaches a cooker assembly that includes a rectangular fire pan and a cover that may enclose the other parts of the assembly when they are packed for storage. While Slattery collapses, it lacks the extended cavity needed to adequately smoke food products, and it does not have the capability of adding the water tray to provide the moisture to the process. Further, the firebox on cookers should be vented from below in order to burn properly, allowing the sparks and ash to fall under the fire pan. The Slattery unit does not have the spark and ashtray to safely and properly catch and dispose of the ash, and it does not hinge easily for assembly or disassembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,436 (McGowan) teaches a smoker and baking apparatus which is characterized by a cabinet having an outer shell and an inner shell that define a smoke channel therebetween. McGowan however, does not have the spark and ashtray which would be required for use on camping trips, especially to wilderness areas, nor the provided capability of retaining the ashes within for proper disposal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,782 (Blanchard) describes a smoke generator machine to generate smoke from wood or similar organic matter. The smoke produced is intended for supply to food smoking kilns. The smoke generator could be used to generate smoke from a variety of combustible materials for other conceivable practical purposes or for research purposes. While such food smoking kilns are used in commercial preparation of large quantities of food products, they would not be practical for use in the field of outdoor camping.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,374 (Christen) discloses an electric food smoker which can be readily and quickly assembled or disassembled. However, Christen teaches an electric device and it is not reasonable to expect that it could be taken on camping trips, much less being used on river rafting trips. This device also does not incorporate a fire box, a spark or ashtray or water tray within its internal cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,799 (Atanasio) describes a collapsible charcoal wire frame barbecuing grill. However, this device would not be useable as a folding smoker, barbecue, oven combination device so described in this disclosure.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a new lighter weight, more functional, combination smoker and cooking device with a broader range of capabilities that comply with the increasing stringent requirements to keep our campgrounds, lakes and rivers in as pristine and natural state as possible. Such a device should be easily collapsed for storage in the smallest area and easily reassembled during the short time allotted on camping trips to cook. Such a device should accommodate collapse and reassembly by attaching the majority of the components required for assembly to each other to thereby avoid loss of parts. Such a device should further provide a means for water storage during cooking to keep food moist and a means for collection of ashes and sparks to thereby avoid contamination of the wilderness and to ease the user""s ability to collect disposables for removal from the area.
The present invention accomplishes its desired objectives by providing a simple, light-weight collapsible smoker, barbecue, oven combination device that can easily and quickly be assembled and disassembled. When camping in remote areas, all the equipment should compress into as tight an area as possible, especially in river rafting where all the camping gear and supplies for several days must be stowed on the rafts. Light equipment that can perform several tasks on these camping trips is especially useful. With this device in the mornings, by moving the fire box to just below the top grill and taking off the top cover, the device converts to a stove where frying pans and grills are used. The sides form a wind break. The device works in this same configuration as a barbecue in the evening meals. At noon, the device being reassembled with the top cover in place and the firebox moved to the lower most position and the water tray removed, works equally well as a warming or baking oven. But the specialty of the device is in the fully assembled configuration with the water tray in position, being used as a smoker. With the incorporation of the water tray in the application of smoking meat, especially fish, the product remains moist and soft as compared to the hard, tough products of most camping smokers. In all the configurations of the device, the spark and ashtray will be used to catch all the ash falling through the vent holes in the firebox. Then all the ash and coals in the firebox and ashtray are to be disposed of properly leaving no indication of the fire site. It has become extremely critical in fire sensitive areas that cooking be done in an approved device and the coals and ashes be disposed of properly, even in some areas where they must be taken out of the area by the campers.
The majority of the central components of the smoker, barbecue, oven combination device are attached to each other by the means of piano hinges, forming the folding center section assembly with the doors and support plates attached. The top cover with handles and an adjustable metering vent rests on top of the folding center section assembly, adequately sealing the chamber without using any fastening means. The spark and ashtray placed within the confines of the back and side walls seals the bottom of the device and is accessible by means of the hinged bottom support plate or firebox access door. The front of the device is comprised of a hinged top support plate, the food chamber access door, the firebox access door and the hinged bottom support plate, all commonly hinged to the right side wall. The food racks, water tray and firebox all slide within the central chamber by the common means of guide rails attached on the left and right side walls of the device. Support brackets across the front of the food chamber and the water tray are all that is required to restrain the device in the square configuration by sliding into retainer slots attached to the left and right side walls respectively. A plurality of holes on the left side wall, right side wall, and back wall, adjacent to the firebox, supply adequate ventilation to maintain the combustion process. By the means of a plurality of holes in the adjustable metering vent plate attached to the top cover, and a plurality of holes in the cover, rotating the vent plate allows the exhaust smoke and heat within the food chamber to be controlled, retarding the combustion process. A plurality of holes in the bottom of the firebox allows that the air passes through the fire for complete burning of the combustible material within. These holes in the bottom of the firebox will let some sparks and ash fall below the firebox requiring the need for the spark and ashtray below.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a collapsible lightweight, multi-purpose food cooking and smoking device for wilderness or remote camping.
Another object of this invention is the provision of such a device that will assemble and disassemble by folding its major components outward and simply inserting the retaining brackets, thus requiring no tools.
A further object of this invention is to supply a lightweight folding device, capable of smoking food with a means to control the humidity of the food being cooked such as a water tray to thereby keep food moist.
Yet another object of this invention is to supply a cooking device with a means to collect sparks and ashes to safely catch and retain anything falling below the firebox holding the burning fuel.
A additonal object of this invention is, to supply a lightweight folding device that will pass stringent fire and safety requirements for wilderness camping where fire danger is a continual concern.